Dr. Flavio Pescuddu
Dr. Flavio Pescuddu is an Italian doctor who came to America a few months before the infection started, and was sent to the borders just outside the infection zone to oversee evacuation and research efforts. Crippled by his basic knowledge of the English language and only knowing one American (his girlfriend Sarah, fluent in Italian), he and his crew could not evacuate in time when the attacks started to breach through the defences. Biography Early Life Born in the seaside town of Montesilvano in the Province of Abruzzo in the year 1981, Flavio was always a reclusive and socially awkward kid. Bullied and berated constantly, and was once even reduced to tears by an on-edge teacher who told him he would never amount to anything. He was once stabbed repeatedly with a Swiss Army knife by a group of local young thugs and they took it in turns to dunk his head in the puddle of his own blood. That particular incident scarred him more then all the social rejection, beatings and insults he also faced throughout his younger years. The physical pain from the scars and wounds required constant care and painkillers, and as such he developed an addiction to the painkillers he was prescribed. Even after the prescription was removed, he was sometimes seen swindling and nicking bottles. This addiction carried on into his later life, however he resolved to stop after he almost died from swallowing a whole bottle. However, despite his flaws and social status as an outcast and his academic status as hopeless, he was a good person at heart, and also had the hidden capacity for great intelligence, and his life was changed during one stormy day at the age of 14. His older brother Salvatore, a biker and lady's man, got in a motorbike accident and was saved from crippling injury or death by a passing off-duty doctor. Feeling for ever in debt to the medical profession for saving his brother and best friend, he was inspired and from then on his career choice was clear in his mind. Given a purpose in life, he stopped slacking at school and hiding away from the social world. He eventually dropped the statuses of outcast and academically hopeless, and became a popular, friendly guy with good grades. Despite this, certain scars from his youth, like bad memories and the painkiller addiction, remained. Young Adulthood He eventually secured a place in a high-ranking Italian college after doing well in his final school exams. Studying hard, he eventually passed his final medical exam at the age of 24 and immediately set to work in the local hospital, hoping for the moment where he could be a hero like the off-duty doctor. At the age of 26, when hanging out on a local beach, he spotted a lifeguard dragging an elderly male tourist onto a beach, having sustained heavy wounds from the choppy sea and the sharp rocks nearby. Flavio stepped in and saved the man's life. His daughter, a medical student from America who was a big lover of Italy and knew the language, was called Sarah Dickinson and she heavily thanked him for saving his life. The two found they had good chemistry, and hit it off almost immediately. While the frequent long distances between them and Flavio's struggle to learn English were obstacles, their relationship lasted and it was genuine and loving. The zombie epidemic To Flavio and Sarah, the zombie epidemic had its benefits. Due to Flavio's skill and expertise on biological mutations and contagious diseases (he had wrote a successful paper on the subject), the UN asked for him to help run research on the zombie epidemic. He was based in a research and evacuation camp on the borders of overrun Philadelphia. Flavio, in America, made good progress with his English and made plenty of friends among other scientists and survivors. Around this time, Sarah became pregnant. Unfortunately for the happy couple, the bliss did not last long. One night, Flavio was up late helping process the papers of a bus of evacuees and refugees and screening them for the infection. He was a bit high of caffeine and painkillers, and stressed out and overworked. One of the evacuees who was waiting for screening suddenly turned when Flavio and the soldiers were distracted, and two soldiers and Flavio's colleague Dr. Jerry Zimmer were infected. In the chaos, alarms were sounded, evacuees were either stranded or rushed through, and somehow a large mass of zombies broke down the defences when the soldier's backs were turned. Flavio was unable to reunite with Sarah, and when he shouted out for her, he did hear her reply with his name, but her voice was lost quickly amongst the infected, fires, and sounds of combat and panic. Most of Flavio's teammates died before his eyes, and he ran into the forest with a few armed soldiers and other survivors. Three hopes hold Flavio together: Sarah is still alive, the evacuees he was currently processing somehow survived, and that the breakthrough he felt he was close to achieving may happen. Until then, he just has to hold on to these slim hopes and the SMG trigger as he and his new team try making it out of the area alive. Description Flavio is a tanned, tall, average-looking Italian male. With a slim moustache and some large glasses, he also wears the bloodied lab coat he was in when the alarm sounded. Personality wise, he is still learning English, and he is a rather clever but reclusive and grumpy person. He is known to bear grudges and be very rash and passionate. He also, unfortunate for both his profession and current set of circumstances, has a fear of blood and is known to sometimes freak out when seeing it. He keeps this a secret. Weapons of choice * Heckler and Koch MP5 * A frying pan he grabbed off the side Flavio's teams His research team Before the camp was overrun, Flavio's research team had the following members: *Dr. Tomas Martinez: Tomas was the chief scientist of the facility and in charge of all scientific administration and all research teams, and personally ran the research team Flavio was in. An overbearing workaholic balding in his early 30s who famously catalogued every mundane detail in his old journal, his status following the defence breach is unknown. He was in a helicopter surveying the ruined neighbourhoods of Philadelphia for interesting developments and survivors. *Professor Andrew Goldstein: A tall, wiry elderly man, he was second-in-command of the team. He was separated from Flavio and his current status is unknown, but he is likely demised. *Dr. Frederick Jackson: A scientist who grew up in North-East Philadelphia, and whose family are unaccounted for following the apocalypse. A depressed, sullen fellow. Currently travelling with Flavio. *Dr. Anita Wu: A neurotic, snappy scientist who was away on business and visiting family when the breach happened. *Dr. Jerry Zimmer: Flavio's best friend, a fellow European who had a thing for food. Was ripped apart in front of Flavio's eyes, presumed either dead or infected. *Dr. Laura Levoski: Another scientist, a cheerful, optimistic woman. Presumed dead or infected. His team of survivors A team of survivors from the camp trying to reach safety. *Rebecca Hodges: A Philadelphia housewife and businesswoman. Fretting over her family and has a very short fuse with her fellow survivors. *Carlos Francis: A young teenager from the city, used to be a trouble causer and street thug. *Lucas Francis: Carlos's middle-aged father. *Dr. Frederick Jackson: One of Flavio's fellow scientists. *Corporal Lara Mackintosh: A grouchy, analytical soldier from the base. *Private Jonas Matthews: A naive young soldier. *Billy Watts: A lonely countryside recluse who lived with his two children and elderly mother with a heart condition. He lived in a heavily trapped, heavily barricaded shack. The lights on attracted the survivors who were allowed in for safety, but the new survivors attracted a tank and a horde. The crew of survivors and Watts and his family survived, but the shack was wrecked, so now Billy and his family travel with Flavio's team. Category:Survivors